NJ men sentenced to 20-plus years in terror case

NEWARK (AP) — Two New Jersey men have been sentenced for their admitted roles in trying to join an armed Islamic group in Somalia with ties to al-Qaida.

A federal judge in Newark on Monday sentenced Mohamed Alessa of North Bergen to 22 years in prison, and Carlos Almonte of Elmwood Park to a 20-year prison term.

The two men, both in their 20s, pleaded guilty in March 2011 to conspiring to murder people outside the U.S. by trying to join al-Shabab, a designated terrorist organization.

Attorneys for the two men sought to portray them as troubled youths spurred to radicalism under the influence of a man who was an undercover police informant.

Federal prosecutors asked the judge to give them sentences lengthy enough to send a message to other would-be home-grown terrorists.

On June 5, 2010, Alessa and Almonte were taken into custody by pre-staged arrest teams as they attempted to board separate international flights at JFK International Airport. They have been held in continuous custody since their arrests by order of U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo.

“Alessa and Almonte wanted to join terrorists who shared their violent, extremist ideology so they could murder those who did not,” said U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. “We need not speculate about their intentions: their own words confirm the deadly mission for which they trained, planned and attempted to embark. Their decades-long sentences are both a just punishment for their admitted actions and a warning to others who would be tempted down this dead-end path.”

Alessa and Almonte admitted that they planned to travel outside the United States to join Al Shabaab, an international terrorist group based in Somalia, knowing the group was engaged in carrying out violent attacks against individuals in that country — including members of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and African Union soldiers, court documents said. As part of this campaign, Al Shabaab has conducted military assaults, bombings and other violent acts, and has attempted through its media operations to recruit foreigners — including Americans and other westerners — to join its ranks.

In October 2006, the FBI received a tip concerning the defendants’ activities. As the investigation continued, an NYPD Intelligence Division undercover officer recorded numerous meetings and conversations with them, during which the defendants discussed and prepared to carry out their plan.

The defendants admitted that those preparations included: saving and pooling thousands of dollars; physically conditioning themselves by, among other things, lifting weights and running; engaging in combat simulations using paintball guns, computer software and other items; acquiring tactical clothing, hydration systems and other equipment; and purchasing airline tickets to Egypt with the intent to then travel to Somalia. They also admitted that as part of their plan, Alessa and Almonte had traveled to Jordan in February 2007 and while there, inquired about opportunities to meet with groups committed to establishing Islamic law through violence.

Additionally, Alessa and Almonte admitted that they acquired, viewed and displayed for others audio, video and written materials — produced by and relating to Al Qaeda, Al Shabaab and other extremist groups — which advocated, depicted and/or sought to justify the killing of individuals who opposed them, including civilians.

In addition to the prison terms, Judge Debevoise sentenced Alessa and Almonte to lifetime terms of supervised release.